It’s far more pleasant in Tempe, Ariz., now than it was during the hellacious heat of the 2012 offseason.

Todd Graham’s reputation was on fire then, and not in a good way: The new Arizona State coach was still being lambasted by writers and fans for the blatantly unceremonious manner in which, after a single season, he’d ditched Pittsburgh.

Todd Graham said the Sun Devils were looking for discipline, and he was able to give it to them. (AP Photo)

“I think we’re way past that,” Graham, 48, told Sporting News last week. “I can tell you this, the best decision I’ve ever made was to come here.”

But consider how deeply changed the Sun Devils were in 2012. For the first time in 34 years, they won their final three games. And they were vividly more grown-up: After leading all FBS teams in penalties and—by an insane margin, thanks to a tidal wave of personal fouls—penalty yardage the year before, they were one of the least-penalized teams in the land.

Don’t just scream Vontaze Burfict’s name, please. This was at least as much about the presence of Graham as it was about the absence of the infamously live-wire linebacker.

“We’ve got quality young men who were hungry for the discipline, hungry for the standards, hungry to win,” Graham said.

If not for a 45-43 loss to UCLA, Arizona State would’ve faced Stanford in the Pac-12 championship game. A mismatch? We’ll never know for sure; the Sun Devils and Cardinal didn’t meet during the regular season.

Maybe 2013 will be the year for that December battle. Rising junior quarterback Taylor Kelly has a breakout year under his belt. Perhaps more important, defensive tackle Will Sutton—who led the Pac-12 in sacks and tackles for loss in 2012—elected to remain in Tempe for his senior season.

Rather quietly, considering the tumult that followed Graham to the desert, ASU was often spectacular a year ago. It ranked first in the nation with 9.0 tackles for loss per game, and second—behind Stanford—with 4.0 sacks per game. It trailed only Oregon, among Pac-12 teams, in points scored and scoring differential.

“Sometimes in life, you have to make difficult decisions,” Graham said, “and with that you have to explain yourself. What we did is let our actions speak louder than our words.

“I think we’re well on our way to where we want to be.”

Less than three weeks from the start of spring practices, the Sun Devils would seem to have as good a chance as any team to win the Pac-12 South in the fall. If that seems like a fast track from Dennis Erickson’s final ride, well, it is.

“Our goal is to win the South, win the Pac-12, win every game,” Graham said. “Our guys believe they can do that.”

A year into his fourth major-college head coaching job, Graham has been a difference-maker. Like him or not, you have to give him that.